The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-01-27
NOBLE SPEECH
Senator Allen G.. Thurman
At the jackson Banquet, I'm Co
Kumbus, Friday Eve, Jan. I.

Senator Thurman was received with
great applause by the entire assembly,
and responded to the sentiment:
"The Union-The common heritage
the people," Judge Thurman said:
MR. PREsIDENT-We have assem-
bled tonight not to make a platform
for the Democratic party of the United
States not to set at work any party
machinery for the political advance
ment of any person whomsoever; not
to sit in judgment upon nor to ostra
cize true men of our party, because in
some particulars they quay differ from
us in regard to men or measures; but
we are here assem- bIed to do what we
can to reinvigorate the fundamental
principles of our party to bring about
as far as possible, unity of sentiment
aud of action to renew our devotion
to the union of the States, and to gath
er inspiration from the example and
teachings of the great man, whose
valor and whose virtues we this night
celebrate And what better homage
can We pay to him who fought, when
child, to achieve our Independence,
who fought when a man, to maintain
and preserve it, and who, when at the
head OF the government and at dan
gerous crisis of our country's history,
uttered the following memorable sen
timent: The Uuion-it must and
shall be preserved" than to declare,
as we do in the toast just read, that
the Union is the common heritage of
patriots? Yes, Mr. President, it is so,
and it ought to be so. Men may have
been misguided and gone wrong in
the past, but whatever may have been
aEman's history, if he is doday, and
means to be in the future true. de
voted friend of the Union, that Union
is n part of his heritage. II cannot be
necessary to speak TO All audience like
this of the advantages, nay, the neces
sity of the Union, but il may be proper
to say something of the means by
which it can be preserved. For, al
though the Union may be, and
, think it is stronger today than it evel
was before, yet it would be u mistake
to suppose that it will never, in the
long course of time, encounter danger.
! that will require the utmost wisdom
and patriotism to meet and counterac
We have now population of abou
sixty million peOple-if the Uniol
> lasts another hundred years our pOpu
= lation at the rate of increase that ha
prevailed will be nearly or quite 500,
OUO, ,OO0-nearly 20O, 100000 more peopl
than inhabit the whole continent o
Europe. 30 numerous population
A Intelligent. active, industrious, edu
Gated, has never been seen under tn
rule of one government on the face o
the globe. But if such shall be Ou
condition one hundred years hence
, what will it be wheu two or three, o
/ more centuries shall have rolled away
Manifestly to hold such q vast popula
> ton, with a prodigiOus diversity of in
terests aud occupations, feelings an,
opinions, firmly united under one flag
/ viii require degree OF wisdom
knowledge and patriotism that ha
never yet been displayed in the gov
ernment of mankind. Some person
: suppose that the Union can be pre-
served only by the consolidation of ~
substantial powers in the hands of tn
Federal Government-thus in effec
practically destroying the long chez
I. ished home rule of our State govern
ments, which has been productive {
Is so many benefits and SO much conten
|, For myself, L am of the opinion entel
tanned by the fathers of the Democrac
that such consolidation, instead of bt
ing preservative, would he certainl
destructive of the Union. While
fully agree with those who assert tn,
ne general Government should
cheerfully sustained in the exercise
. all the powers CONFERRED upon it
It ,he Constitution, at the same tin
,hink that no feature in our compile
1 system of government is more deser'
n ing of preservation, more necessary
the security of liberty and the prom
v llon of the best interests and happ
ness of the people, than the home ru
of our State governments. And b
cause this home rule Is the cherisht
doctrine of the Democratic p ,rty :,
R, think that the preservation of Il
party is almost synonym for Il
preservation of liberty and the UniO
RI 1 think that the Democratic party
the natural party of free institution
and that it will be indestructible
long as freedom exists in America.
9, [ am correct, then to say that We i
- Democrats is to say that we are Unit
! men and answering friends of liber
and home rule. There is no time
!. night to discuss so grand a theme, u
O. most interesting that could be pr
80 sented to the mind of an Americs
~ !" citizen. All that L can do in conclu
~ ing my brief remarks is to cOnjure "
n to cherish deep and unfaltering To-
of your free institutions, to inculca
this love in the minds of your childre
and never, under any circumstance
r however appalling, despair of the r
Of hlin